West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-03-10
OLD GRIDLEY'S GHOST.

NO; not exactly
What ails YOU then2 Speak out, man.
Have you been seeing "A ghostT
ITO tell the truth, Maggie, / do feel
little nervous this morning. | haven't
made trip these twenty years that
dreaded like this"
Seen Old Gridley again1'
"Ycs."
"Pshaw' I thought that was it.
Haven't you seen him a dozen times be.
fore and nothing came itY
This time he had his scxtant."
All this was at the breakfast table.
Durham was mate OF the ORC Fino. max
ing tri-monthly trips between Portland
and SAN Francisco. lie had sailed thirty
years, been round the world twice. been
Captain about six years but lost his shin
and couldn't get another, and so was
glad 10 be First Mate Of the ORC Fino.
Dunham had habit Of seeing ghosts.
or, rather ghost, for he never saw but
one; that was old Gridley. Gridley
was mate Of the vessel on which Dunbam
made his first trip as ship-boy. That
trip was Dunham's first, but Gridlev's
last Gndlcy had passion for beating
ships boys with a ropes end. Gridlcy
was taking an observation with the sex
tant and, as the boy was passing him
with bucket and swab. a sudden urch
of the ship threw him against the mate
Gridlcy seized a ropes end, and was be
laboring the boy soundly when a boom
providentially left loose, struck him and
knocked him overheard. Ever since that.
on numerous occasions Dunham had seen
"Ildley ghoSt-usually with n ropes
cnd, but sometimes with sextant. He
IL. H..
fatality portcndcd by the vision with the
ropes end. lie had seen it "a dozen
times; and, on some occasions. his best
,Hck had seemed to follow the apparition.
Not so when the ghost with the scxtant
appeared lie had seen this only twice
once, the night before hc fell from the
forctop and broke his leg; the other time
the night before his ship was cast away
Last night was the third time. He had
walked up and found himself living on his
back. The room was perfectly dark II
was also perfectly still Dunham could
sec nothing and could hear nothing
Nevertheless, nc felt that something or
somebody was in the room that ought TO
hc out OF 1T. lie also felt a draught Of
cold air. Durham was no sticklcr for
ventilated apartments, and had carefully
closed and locked the windows before re
uring The air could not come from
the windows; neither could it come from
the bedroom door, for that opened into
inc stting-room just opposite to a win
dow, and If the door had been open he
could have seen the window. Dcspite
ms natural courage, Dunham was fright
cncd. lie raised himself on his elbow
very cautiously. He looked about the
roomi he could sec absolutely nothing
lie reached over to where Maggie. his
wife, sIcpt-she was there. lie moist
ened ms finger in his mouth and held il
up. lie could then sensibly feel the
dratt OF air coming from the foot Of his
bed. lie got up and struck "a lipht
Looking over his shoulder as he did so
he saw, at the foot Of his bed old GridIev.
il would do no good 10 shout aloud-his
wife would only laugh at him. He had
often walked her mp 10 look at the ghost
but She profcssed never to see II. It
would do no good TO go up TO the appari-
ton and try 90 seine it-he had often
done this, and il only disappeared for an
instant TO rcappcar i'm another part Of the
room. So he left the lamp burning and
got into bed with his eyes fixed on the
figure.
This time Gridlcy had his scvtant. and
seemed busy bringing an imaginary SUN
down to an imaOinarv bori5or ,rIl
operation completed the fe,nrc t,rrod .,
the bureau and seemed to be n,aL;,,,, ,I,,.
calculation Then bc Turned tl ~,
ham, and shook his head negatively. and
dashed the scXtant 20 the floor a sud
den crack startled tho matc II. bod
turned the lampwick too high. and the
chimney had crackcd and GIlcu A. tbc
floor
I'm the morning Dnuban WINS a Itp.
nervous. However bavip,, totor . ,,,,.
or two OF strong coffee fcu ,oor, ,,.,,,P
posed
Joey Duubam the nofc,s o,ly ,Ind
boy of ten years of ace almost aIvro.,s ,,.
compauicd his father ON bis tri,s ,rIt.
time Dunham proposcd to Ioarc him a.,
home: but the bow seemed so dis,,
pointed thst hi. father fuaIlc cav, ,y.,.
and thcv started foocfhrr do0p a. G.,
steamer
.Jocv was porfrrfIy sf homo and ,rtr,
his father wa, busy. stole uu into tbe